Why the 'Obama Effect' is Waning

October 21, 2010

By Eight Forty-Eight

In his 2008 presidential candidacy, Barack Obama energized youth voters in the black and Latino communities like no other candidate before him. They worked hard for his campaign, and in record numbers young people of color also turned out to vote for Obama. While their efforts may have tipped the election in his favor, they haven’t been as politically active in the run-up to this year’s mid-term elections. To find out why the power of the so-called "Obama Effect" is dwindling we speak with Cathy Cohen. Cohen is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and author of the book Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics.